Chapter 7
Charlie glanced nervously at Joey who was looking anywhere but at her.
"Sooo..." she said somewhat awkwardly "What should we do?"
Joey shrugged "I don't know...What do you want to do?"
"I asked you first" Charlie smiled in an attempt to break the tension which had settled between them.
"Fine" Joey grinned "We could go to the beach? Go out on the boat? I'm sure I could persuade Alf to lend me one for the day"
"Okay" Charlie nodded "Let's do that" she moved to get up but winced at the sharp pain which shot through her abdomen.
"Are you sure you're up to it?" Joey questioned in concern "I you're in too much pain we can just stay here"
"That's boring" Charlie pointed out.
"At least you won't be in pain" Joey countered.
"I'll be fine...Really"
"Okay" Joey nodded reluctantly "But you have to take your pain pills before we leave okay?"
"But they make me tired!" Charlie practically whined "Anyway Rachel says I shouldn't take many of them"
Joey sighed "Fine but we're taking them with us just in case"
"Okay" Charlie agreed quietly. She stood up slowly from her chair and motioned towards the bedroom "I'm going to go...get changed"
Joey nodded and stood from her own chair. She moved around the table so that she was standing directly in front of Charlie "Do you need any help? I mean just...to get there? Not to actually..." she blushed profusely and turned her gaze from Charlie's.
"I'm fine" Charlie smiled finding the girls blush surprisingly endearing "Joey?"
"Yeah?" Joey turned her attention back to Charlie.
"Thanks...for offering" Charlie leaned forward slightly and placed a tender kiss on the younger girls' cheek. She pulled away and smiled when she noticed that Joey had her eyes closed and her blush had intensified.
She moved towards the bedroom with a spring in her step even though she was still limping.
---
"Damn it!" Charlie cursed as she leaned heavily on her uninjured foot and failed for the fifth time to pull her shirt off. She sighed indignantly and took a deep breath to calm herself before she tried again.
"Fucking hell!" she swore as she knocked the alarm clock of the bedside table "This is great...This is just freaking great!"
"Charlie?" Joey called as a soft knock sounded on the door. She entered a moment later with her hand firmly over her eyes "Are you okay?"
"No" Charlie huffed. She glanced at Joey and smiled "You can open your eyes"
Joey moved her hand from her eyes and glanced at the alarm clock on the floor "What happened?"
"I knocked it off" Charlie stated the obvious.
"How?" Joey frowned.
"I couldn't...." Charlie exhaled in exasperation "I mean I can't get this stupid shirt off..."
"Oh" The younger girl said quietly in realisation "Do you uh...need any help?" she grinned mischievously at Charlie but couldn't deny the nervous fluttering in her stomach "I promise I won't peek"
Charlie returned the smile "Thanks Jo...I know I'm being a bit of a pain and all..."
"Hey" Joey cut her off quietly "its fine okay? I'm here because I want to be remember? I'll do anything you need...got it?"
"Got it" Charlie whispered.
"Okay" Joey said as she stepped forward and placed her hands on Charlie's waist "You ready?"
Charlie nodded almost imperceptibly and Joey slowly helped her pull the shirt over her head.
"This feels familiar" Charlie smiled flirtatiously as Joey threw the shirt onto the bed and grabbed another one "Do we do this a lot Ms. Collins?"
Joey blushed brightly as she grabbed the other shirt off the bed for Charlie "Charlie..." she helped the other girl pull the shirt on and stepped back.
"Sorry" Charlie laughed "I just think it's incredibly cute when you blush"
As if on cue the blush on the younger girls cheeks brightened.
---
"Charlie!" Joey said in a warning voice.
"Joey!" Charlie mimicked.
"You said you would take them if you were in pain"
"Who says I'm in pain?" Charlie questioned innocently.
"Seriously?!" Joey rolled her eyes "You almost doubled over in pain two minutes ago"
"It was just a twinge" Charlie countered.
"I know when you're lying" Joey pointed out "I'm not stupid y'know"
"I didn't say you were!" Charlie sighed "I just don't want to take the stupid pills okay?!"
"Fine" Joey muttered as she stood up "Do whatever you want" she began to walk away across the deck.
"Joey" Charlie reached out and caught the other girls wrist "I'm sorry, okay?" she stood up slowly and slipped her hand down to grasp Joey's hand "I just don't like taking them"
"But you have to" Joey said softly "You're hurting Charlie, I know you are and I..."
"What?" Charlie whispered.
Joey took Charlie's other hand in her free one "I hate to see you in pain, okay?"
"I'll take the pill" Charlie conceded "I'm sorry...I was just being stubborn"
"It's okay" Joey whispered. They stood there for a moment longer until Joey attempted to pull away. Charlie tightened her hold on the other girl's hands.
"Jo?"
"Uh-huh?" Joey asked expectantly.
"We've done this before, haven't we?" Charlie raised their joined hands slightly "On this boat?"
"Yeah we have" Joey answered hoarsely.
"I'm guessing I ran away?" Charlie questioned "It seems like something I would have done"
Joey nodded numbly "Are you going to run now?"
"No" Charlie smiled softly "There's nowhere to run..." indeed they were surrounded by the clear blue of the water "And I wouldn't anyway"
"Why?"
"Why?" Charlie repeated "Because I don't want to run from you. Before the accident..."
Joey stayed silent as Charlie trailed off.
"We were in love...Weren't we?" Charlie asked softly.
"Yeah" Joey nodded slightly tearful "We were"
"I still love you" the older girl whispered sincerely
"But you don't know me" Joey responded quietly.
"I know enough" Charlie smiled "Anyway...My love for you isn't in my head..." she pulled Joey's hand to her chest "It's in my heart...That hasn't changed. Do you still Love me Jo?"
"Of course I do" Joey answered.
"Then we have our answer"
"To what question?" Joey asked.
"Who cares?" Charlie smiled as she began to lean forward slowly. She swallowed softly and released her grip on Joey's hands to slip her arms around the younger girl's waist. She hesitated for a moment before she closed her eyes and pressed a tender kiss to Joey's lips.
"I missed you so much" Joey whispered when they pulled away. She pulled Charlie back to her and kissed her softly allowing her hand to run through the other girl's soft dark hair.
---
"Hey!" Ruby exclaimed as she rushed into the living room "did you guys...Whoa!" she closed her eyes and spun away from Charlie and Joey.
They both pulled away from the kiss to look at Ruby.
"Sorry for interrupting" Ruby grinned "So I assume you guys worked it out?"
"Yeah" Charlie said as Ruby turned back around to face them "About that Rubz....Are you..."
"I'm fine with it" Ruby interrupted her "I'm happy for both of you...Really"
"Really?" Charlie questioned glancing from Ruby to Joey and back again "Wait...Is this what you were both being so secretive about?"
"Yeah" Ruby nodded "Somebody..." she shot a look towards Joey "Was being a chicken"
"I was not!" Joey defended "I was being..." she trailed off "Okay maybe I was..."
"So you're okay with it?" Charlie asked again causing Ruby to roll her eyes "I mean...Really?"
"Yes" Ruby nodded "I'm not going to say that I didn't have a little bit of difficulty wi..."
"Yeah" Joey grinned "Your sister was being a bit of a ho..."
"Don't say it!" Ruby exclaimed holding up a hand to stop her "I was not being homophobic. I was being..." she looked to be in contemplation for a moment before she spoke up again "Homo-sister-phobic"
"You're weird" Joey commented bluntly.
Ruby stuck her tongue out at her before turning back to Charlie "Anyway I'm fine with it"
"Thanks Rubz" Charlie smiled as she stood up and pulled her sister into a hug.
"It's fine" Ruby shrugged as Charlie released her.
Charlie glanced at Joey "I'll just be a minute okay? Then we can head out..." she began to walk away but stopped halfway and turned to Ruby "Oh Rubz I almost forgot to ask...Do you want to come with us?"
"I don't want to get in the way..." Ruby smiled.
"You won't be!" Joey argued.
"Well if you're sure..."
"We are" Charlie nodded as she began to head towards her bedroom "We'll leave in ten minutes okay?!"
"Okay" Ruby and Joey responded in unison as they watched Charlie leave.
"Soo..." Ruby grinned as she sat down next to Joey and nudged her gently "I told you so"
"Yeah, whatever" Joey smiled.
"Does she remember everything?" Ruby asked "About you guys? How did she take the Hugo thing? I know that isn't something she would have liked to remember..."
"Uh...She doesn't know about that"
"She doesn't know?!" the younger girl exclaimed.
Joey nodded "And that's the way I intend to keep it"
"You can't keep this from her!" Ruby insisted.
"Yes I can"
"You can't!"
"I can!"
"No you really can't!"
"Yes I REALLY can"
"You're so immature" Ruby sighed.
"I am not!" Joey said forcefully "Look Ruby if she finds out...It's just going to hurt her...You don't want that do you?"
"That was low" Ruby narrowed her eyes at Joey "You know I don't want that!"
"Then she shouldn't know!" Joey stated obviously.
"What if she finds out by herself?!"
"Finds out what?" Charlie questioned from the doorway.
"Uh..."
"Who finds out what?" Charlie repeated as she moved into the room "Are you two talking about me again?"
"No" Joey shook her head "It's just..."
"Her ex" Ruby finished as Joey trailed off.
"Oh" Charlie frowned "is everything okay?"
"Yeah!" Joey said brightly as she stood up "So are you both ready to go?" she moved out of the room not waiting for their answer.
TBC
